Letting go of fear and biases: new perspectives on historic clothing for design education in the post-pandemic age of digitisation

Abstract

Object-based learning is at the foundation of fashion education as touch is a primary means to understanding clothing and textiles. Therefore, the utilisation of historic clothing and textile collections is vital, even in a time when more institutions are putting greater emphasis on digitisation and online engagement. This study's purpose was to assess the benefits of fashion design students physically engaging with a historic clothing and textiles collection through a series of workshops. The framework for the workshops employed experiential learning theory. Utilising a case study of two apparel design course sections, the students’ experiences with the workshops were assessed by pre- and post-reflective surveys analyzed by constant comparative analysis. The study’s findings have implications for educators in utilising historic collections to broaden students’ perspectives, enhance critical thinking skills, and encourage them to enjoy the process of learning instead of concentrating on searching for the ‘right’ answers.

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